Telegram-herald., 1887-12-29
GERMS IN THE ICE
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louK tlsae 4 Was c0fsil liefed that even though
ics saa frozsn over water knevn 70 b. nltay
TIE ia vas aeVerrheless PlFs, and the ap-
Ears1E s.netioa 81 cieaee VS. given 70 tkis
tha0ry Rscens Investigators ~ learned
Hllefosccpists bass, ho8asef. throsa new
Egat apon thls qEestlosa. aud whlis u . ssh
admitted that > lzrzs percentage Of t-e IN
l1Eiols elements u in8are water become
i0st shsn : Is frozen Il has also been shown
thai enoagh saqaritlo, remain IA the frozen
water - naaks u sossl5ls 70 spread - an
alarming sxtent 2HT disease The Infectious
slenasnLs ~ ~hlen we're coEtained ia the
water ia its liquid s1ate.
Que OF tss peFseas b has made an ex-
ha1stiys sttay * Eais ssia 5set IS Dr.. T. Mitch
Ell Przddea. tie dirsetog u tas laboratory
Of tAe Collegs q Physleiaus AIsl Surgeons ia
tbs city. Ia the ezglY part n the year Is
Contributed long article 20 Tho Medical
Recori. ia which he showed the result 0f
very careful analyses of different samples OF
he taken from al the sources II supply
around New York Hs came 70 the conclu-
sion that typhoid fever and possibly cholera
might easily be spreai anaoag the consumers
OF the Ice which Is foraled on the Hudson.
'.This river" be says, Is al the best rather
xhalloN, and large quantities Of detritus an
naally brought down the stream cause con
slant and considerable chan. = he the bottom
The Islands IA the river fron Coxsackie to
Albany are gradually formed from the sedi-
nicntzry deposit AZ the upper part of this
section. Troy, a city of over 500o0 iahsbit-
ants, erapties daily s.eoo10 gallons Of sew
sge into tks river. vhieh Is already charged
slta contributions from Cohoes and Lansing
burg, 70 say nothing % the impurities
broagbt by the Mohawk from the west A
few miles below Troy Al0eny, with over
so,G0 inhabitants. has elso an Efficient sew
sye system, waich il Porrs directly into the
river"
Taking the results OF all his analyses OF ice
from ths various sources, 10 finds that the
average number OF living bacteria contained
IN enc cubic continefer Of the melted ice is
20Si, or. 20 put it IN more common terms, a
/ pint OF faelted ice would harbor about 500, 900
living bacteria OF various kinds lie who,
Impressed with the iEiportance of pure
drinidsg water, should perfectly filter half a
, glass Of average winter croton water and
I then add 70 it an equal quantity Of average
7 ice, would have The satisfaction OF replacing
T the bacteria removed with more than eight
f times as many from more uncertain and
f Objectionable sources.
/ Ore reasoa, Dr. Pruden says. why It was
never before known by scientific men tha.
zee II, gAt contain the germs OF disease was
/ that the only method Of research was by
chemical examination Tasse coai5 not, ex-
cent iaf-rensial,y. determine the presence o.
b4cieria. IL is 10 longer necessary 10 infer
their presence. These living gerizs may now
+ be actually counted, and their species and
: actions on ths animal body definitely deter
a n -.
forastioa is obtained IS called tae biological
Analysis.
In the experiments ulads by Dr. Pruden
Samples q ice which contained evident gross
impurities, such as grass and straw, wers in
al cases rejected as not fairly representative
| II hs-s been shown that bacteria may exist IN
enormous numbers without ifnp&iring the
slearusss and Transparency OF the ice.
DR.. Pruden made biological analyses Of Ia
samples taken frora blocks Of ice from the
Hudson river at vsrious points from West
| Park 70 the vicinity Of Troy. These EN-
braccd samples fss-a al the pronsinent ice
! fcli5 and niauy of the small ones. Ia all Of
| these he found a large number OF bacteria OF
| differeat kinds. Snow Ice, DR. Pruden
| found. coataiaed many tiu1es the number OF
bacteria found IN transparent ice taken from,
the same blocks BHbbly ice vas also i'm
| pregnatcd 70 q much larger extent than
transparent ice with these organisms, but he
| found tAas this rue as 70 bubbly ice and snow
ice holds coed only when the water from
which the ice is formed contains a consider
able number OF bacteria
Hndson river ice contained q much larger
number o. bacterial impurities than tbs ice
taken from tE~ o-her waters near New York,
and whiic some Of thesc bacteria may bs
considered harmless, Others he said, were uu-
doubtediy IN iurioGS The fact that two com
non end rerv important bacterial forms OF
disess4. typhoid fever and diseases associated
with blood p7iso3ing, ara almost constantly
present II lzrIe towns Ike Troy and Albany
and freqrently n Villages along the upper
Hudson, coaiiruis the slzi- ncnt made by him
that Hlasol river water A. impure for drink
inS purposes lie SAYS he does net know
whether ths bacteria OF typhoid fever may
retain lie indefinitely or not in ice, as ths
loagest period IN which they have been KEPT
frozen to lis tloEieslge ~ lo3 DAYS.
| he suggests that the state beard OF health
or some o1aer authorizes. hocy. should hav,
| fol- control over the ice harvesting fields
sRd by a svssssn u ilspectien no- loss strlc
than thai witch should est IN tie care o
the oTt.narv water supply. de- sr-nsne which
if any. ~ the sources Of ics SIMPLY are s
situated as 70 ifn2c.ii tue health of the cen
simsrS II tho ice. In the case of tie HudsoI
river u would be necessary To establish b]
rnoss thorough scientific examination ths
distances frort ali existing ss1rcss OF scwag
polu.scB. st which L might De safely IS
sanef ttat he water had freed Itself from
bacteria and other impurities sufficiently G
form safe zee. Il niiEhs in thss way DC pe<
sib,e 90 remove an chance 81 danger b.
pernit 1- the cs,ez,forahie or bad ice to b
sold cniy for norl-drinzag purpcses, i sucl
q clazisi i1ztsou is practicable, snd thus no
ESSENTIALLY Interfere Nish tae interests Of tll
Ire coFnrsHies.
Or waiter Re ? Day. the sanitary sgpeT
fnfr1sienf ~ ~ city. sad thss the board G
heals6 does re have any supervision 0ve
the ics brought iato tse city a. present.
has not yet bern demonstrated that any aar
Eer exists. OF tsaf any iEfs,tien has lee
carsed IN tt.s va. aud Ire question b
therefore nc. herr seriously considered n
Theoretical pos hlity ol ilfectiea FROM 81
source &c sdfni ted Frofsss7- & hsndicr- &
; C'oiunhia college. wso is orc II ths r7cSs c1z
ineat nsscr1scrr.stS IN The citF. has also md
snn1e ex4ns.aatioa iato tle existence u dH
sss.s xsrzrs - ic<. snsi has psbiisaed a rss7
psies ca *Ae Sasssct. vhieh peirts eat Il
possisflirv of l-fecticn thrsr<k the use Il ic
-Ns~ Ysrk sun
YRS. wacsulsy We rnssre.
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